New list of Samsung handsets that are upgradeable to Android KitKat excludes the Galaxy S3 GT-I9300

Want to know when your older Samsung handset is going to get Android 4.4 KitKat? SamMobile has received a list of select Samsung devices that still run Android Jelly Bean and should be updated to KitKat soon. Of course, we already knew that these would get a taste of KitKat, but now it appears that we also know when it’s supposed to happen.

Here are the devices that should get KitKat starting this month (May): Galaxy Note II LTE SM-N7105, Galaxy Note 3 Neo SM-N750, and Galaxy S III LTE (Sprint’s variant already received the update last week). The month of June is expected to bring KitKat to the following Samsung handsets: Galaxy S4 Mini (LTE and non-LTE), Galaxy Mega 5.8, Galaxy Mega 6.3, and Galaxy Grand 2.

Unfortunately, it looks like the KitKat update for the Galaxy S III GT-I9300 (the version without LTE) “has been cancelled due to unsolved problems.” Still, S3 GT-I9300 users should hope that Samsung will eventually find a way around these alleged problems. We’ll certainly keep an eye on this, and let you know when official details are available.

One major thing people don't seem to have a clue in regards in storage. All phones have some type of flash storage (eMMC, ...). Then after a period of time the storage and speed will degrade. Even if you introduce things like trim in Android 4.3+. Ultimately its just better to upgrade the device, or don't store things on your phones, or store things on external storage (micro SD, cloud) ;-)
I can't wait for project Ara to take off.

Samsung support their flagships for at least 24 months. However, since the release of the S3, there have been four updates to the Android OS. Samsung have provided updates for 4.1 & then a direct update to 4.3. Android KitKat (4.4) was also released during this 24 month period. Hence, Samsung should also provide the KitKat update for the S3. Updating just the LTE variants of the phone shows Samsung doesn't have confidence in its UI to holdup on 1GB of RAM. Android KitKat has been optimized for devices with even 512MB of RAM. So there's no reason that the international S3 with 1GB of RAM can't handle KitKat. This is not great support from Samsung you know.

I just heard from a friend that there are some GPU issues with the older Mali-400MP4 GPU. KitKat is more demanding on the GPU, since they updated the requirements to KitKat. It requires Opengl ES 2.0 now. I know that GPU is suppose to handle 2.0, but I heard there is something wrong with Samsung's Exynos version of the Mali-400MP4 GPU. Its not fully up to the 2.0 spec. That's what I was told today.

There is no such 'older Mali-400MP4', they're similar any minor revision (if any) share the same design basis. The IP design or core might undergo several changes at the silicon level (eg leakage fixes or minor thermal desigb improvements) but the GPU as seen by the software is identical. KiKat GPU usage is neither higher nor does it rely on any newer specific OpenGL ES extensions (Mali-400 already supports ES2.0). The problem here is rather centered around this particular Exynos SoC and its rather troublesome binaries/blobs or sources. Keep in mind that it was originally targeted at ICS when first released so it takes quite some time to implement new changes introduced by newer Android versions in this specific Exynos kernel. The latter has never been upgraded and Samsung just kept backporting patches from newer kernel versions (3.4) into theirs for each major Android firmware update (notice that all S3 kernel versions are 3.0.18 instead of 3.4.x). Samsung just kept backporting things into their half baked kernel, problems were already apparent by the 4.3 upgrade which had issues related to the power management IC for instance. It was inevitable that they'd run into issues down that road and all seems to indicate that this has just started to happen, at least with either their messed up sources or PDK.

While we are at 24 months from the S3's release, 4.4 KitKat was released end of October last year, that's 7 months ago. This was the phone that put them on Apple's level as far as phone sales go. As I understand it the only one of the S3 variants not getting the update is the model with Samsung's own processor. I could understand when they didn't upgrade the Galaxy Nexus since Ti pulled out of the mobile industry and there were no drivers for it. But this is their own processor.

KitKat was released when the S3 was 17 months into it's life cycle, they should at least honor their commitment, and not drag their feet and say now that they can't do it. Just yesterday the RAZR Maxx HD was announced to start a soak test for 4.4.2. If they can do it I can't imagine why Samsung with all their resources couldn't do it as well.

Many are saying it's just business and that's true. But why stop there? Why not stop providing updates and force everyone to upgrade their phone every time a new major OS update comes out? It'd be a lot more profitable for the OEMS that's for sure.

OMG.. Ppl making big fuss about nothing (so many comments here for nothing) N/a means information is Not Available. ppl must wait for Samsung's official announcement that it wont be available.
This pic is only showing that information is Not AVailable...

please explain this to me.....in the update to 4.3 the os itself uses some amount of ram and some is used by the skin....now comes kitkat which uses less ram than 4.3....so what kind of stupid things were they planning to put in the already crappy touch wiz that overall consumption of kitkat increases???

Unsolved Problems my ASS !!! Samsung just say it out lout that you will not give KitKat to the International versions ... The RAM thing is just Bull Crap , then how is samsung's new handsets with 512mb ram running KitKat ???

I agree with you, where is the heck update for the VZ galaxy note 3. That's too much verizon is ignoring this device. And every time I call they said we don't have any information about it. Really come on VZ.

You gotta be kiddimg me! My SIII is screwed up thanks to the 4.3 Update! Now you won't fix it??!!
At least make an update to fix tese serious issues on 4.3
Or maybe ypu screwed up too bad it's unfixable!!!
Thank you for ruining my perfect phone Samsung!!!! Real classy!

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